I was a bit tense during the first day of our road trip. Driving someone else’s car or even a rental takes some time to get used to, especially in the Florida coastal traffic. We also had a lot of last minute packing and I had to shorten my run to a mile in our to get a 10a start. Our first leg was initially 7 hours up to Panama City, but we stopped for a long lunch at Peck’s Old Port Cove. The service was slow because a local biker club brought in a 100 riders for lunch. The out-of-the-way restaurant is on a Gulf of Mexico outlet off a snake-like road perfect for motorcycles. They serve blue crabs as a specialty.

The restaurant/bar was recommended by a friend who also suggested today’s destination. A&W (Archibald and Woodrow’s) BBQ in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. My wife was impressed that I ordered a dozen crabs because I hate all the cracking work. It’s messy and frustrating for often little reward, but in retirement why not smell the roses or rather the stinky clawed creatures? I had pieces of shell all over my face and on the protective bib tied around my neck. It was reminiscent of visiting my wife’s daughter at a seafood joint when she was in college twenty some years ago. I left with remnants of the meal in my hair, probably the last time I ate pre-cracked seafood. It probably won’t happen again for another twenty years!

We gained an hour with the time change and arrived by sunset, exhausted from the day-long journey. We shared the time behind the wheel but I never took the time to blog. I’ve been having trouble with my Go Daddy site, so writing has become more of a chore rather than a pleasure. I’ll go to post but will experience screen freezes and lost paragraphs. In the hotel room last night, the internet wasn’t cooperating, unusual for a Mother Marriott property. I may very well have a virus, and will try again tonight in Tuscaloosa. Our stop before we get there, other than pricy gas (although “only” $3.59/gallon here in Alabama) will be historic civil rights hotspot Selma, Alabama.